Four Decent Snowfalls

[Commissioner Gordon]

When was the last time that we had four decent snowfalls in a single winter over a large part of southern England ?

 I can remember 1969-70 as one example. Certainly 1978-79 would be another.

However, to my recollection, this is a relatively rare event.

[johnholmes]

Four measurable separate falls here which is pretty unusual, more days with snow falling and lying than average along with more frosts than average, air and ground.

Yep not a bad winter into spring for here.

[Weather-history]

1981-82?

I think there were three within a week during December 1981: unexpected snow on the 8th,  the 11th and then a blizzard on the 13th.

[Wildswimmer Pete]

Of course there was 1962/63 with lying snow for weeks (including Christmas).  Like this one, that winter dragged on until the last week of April.  I fear that will be repeated this year.  It's supposed to be spring and I hope to see no more snow and ice.

[johnholmes]

12 minutes ago, Weather-history said:

1981-82?

I think there were three within a week during December 1981: unexpected snow on the 8th,  the 11th and then a blizzard on the 13th.

Indeed I was just showing what this winter into supposed spring is like compared to the last 28 years here.

Winters like 1947 bear no comparison as with 1962-63. December 1981 in the Manchester area was one of the snowiest on record, I remember it only too well, trying to get the forecasts for all the airports in northern England, along with Manchester itself, bearing some resemblance to what actually then occurred was a constant challenge. Main  weather models were only just becoming used as daily routine then and from T+00 to T+24, the aviation window, we still reckoned as forecasters we could beat the 'machine' and usually did. Beyond 24 hours then yest the upper air predictions were way superior by then to any human forecaster.

[Relativistic]

In Essex it was 2012/2013. We had the surprise 5th December snowfall, leaving perhaps two to three inches in what was probably an hour-long burst from around half 6 in the morning. Then we had a good dumping in January 2013, perhaps six or more inches. Early February saw another surprise snowfall overnight (can't remember the exact date) which left perhaps two inches. Early March 2013 saw another two to three inches, and then after the equinox we had four or five inches of powder snow. So there were actually five in that winter season for Chelmsford.

[Summer of 95]

1995-6 for this area (19-21 Dec, 30-31 Dec, 26-27 Jan, 5-6 Feb, 11-13 Mar plus smaller amounts in early Dec, 23 Jan and late Feb)

2010-11 probably counts too, depending on what you define as "separate" snowfalls: there were measurable falls on 27 Nov, 30 Nov, 1 Dec, 17 Dec, 18 Dec and 20-21 Dec and a brief fall on 7 Jan.

This winter counts for me; counting the falls of 8-9 and 10-11 Dec as separate, (they came from separate systems) there have been 4 separate 5cm+ events and a few light dustings on other days.